Throughout Milan’s famed Design Week, we stopped by Stone Island’s “Reflective Research” exhibition to talk with the brand’s proprietor on all the things from working with New York streetwear royalty to instructing on the native Polytechnic University.

As one of the clothes industry’s main innovators, Stone Island’s man at the helm, Carlo Rivetti, knows a factor or two about fabrics. Approaching the world of style with the mindset of an industrial designer, Stone Island has rightfully earned its place as streetwear’s technical leader over the course of 30-some-odd years. Stone Island even collaborated with Supreme not once, however twice over the previous 12 months, cementing their place in the present fashion landscape.

Though we recently dove into their huge archive and captured Mr. Rivetti in a latest Avenue Model, we’ve only just scratched the floor of the heralded Italian label. To search out out more, we sat down with Mr. Rivetti at Stone Island’s “Reflective Research” exhibition. Check it out under.

Can you please introduce yourself to our readers
Hiya, my title is Carlo Rivetti and I’m the Inventive Director and President (exactly in that order) at Stone Island. (laughs)

Describe your day-to-day duties.
I work with the design crew. We work altogether each in Milano and in Ravarino the place we have now the factory. As a result of I am the oldest with experience, I strive to offer course to the younger guys in the design group. The design crew is made up of 4 totally different folks; so four different ages and 4 totally different nationalities. So I’m very involved to know the opinions and level of views of all of these folks. It is my job to attempt to put these concepts right into a Stone Island surroundings.

In your words, what is Stone Island
Stone Island is something distinctive. In order for you single items then every single piece in the gathering has a that means. We aren’t following the market – we attempt to do what we feel is fascinating. It’s a form of club between people who understand the product, which isn’t often understandable. You must be curious and understand that an orange jacket isn’t always an orange jacket.

What makes something troublesome to know with clothing
Instances have changed lots. Persons are extra superficial and don’t have a lot time to take a position. Every little thing turns into so quick, compared with the past. We’ve got to alter the best way of talking to folks – you need to turn out to be rapidly understandable. You have to hit and shock people so they are keen on understanding the process and everything.

Do you think the way in which you attain folks has changed By social media, for instance
Yes, for positive. Also as a result of we discuss quite a bit on social media, we strive to indicate how we do the garment. We have been very efficient on this because we added a new age target. We are actually speaking to youthful folks and this to me is probably crucial thing.

Do you reach out to younger people in a special approach The new prospects, as an example The folks that don’t essentially know the history of Stone Island

Not essentially in a distinct manner. I believe young persons are very fascinated with tales. Concerning the young folks in the Italian market over the past 10 years, they were very kept by marketed merchandise and now they’re far more enthusiastic about actual products.

Up to now you’ve referred to Stone Island as masculine. What is your idea of masculinity
Masculinity is a man who walks in the road and doesn’t have a specific worth. You see quite a bit of different folks sporting Stone Island – I see lovely women wearing Stone Island and I believe that essentially the most lovely women are those sporting men’s products. I don’t really have a goal of masculinity. I simply feel proud after i see someone wearing my stuff. We don’t goal our buyer.

It appears you approach the design of your product more in the way in which of industrial design quite than trend design

Completely right. In actual fact, during Style Week we didn’t do a present or catwalk. We didn’t do something. We simply opened an area and we had been there explaining the product. I feel rather more assured with industrial design than the style system.

Why did you resolve to art number checker stone island exhibit your reflective expertise for Salone del Mobile
This is a choice that was taken by my wife – she can be a part of the design group. She needed to do this exhibition. In a word, it’s a product of the mind of the design crew. I by no means enter into the sort of decision as a result of I’m desirous about doing product so with the sort of communication I go away it to my spouse, Sabina.

When you’re doing analysis on new fabrics and new strategies, are there every other industries that you take inspiration from

Numerous design groups from different sectors come into ours showrooms and clearly I am very interested by understanding Footwear it extra. We say this is expertise but this is just know-how in textile. You will have technology in other industries: vehicles, sneakers. For example, I saw these sunglasses after which needed to learn how they work. So we can see these applied sciences in several sectors and take from them and they can take from us. It’s a kind of exchange of experience. If you wish to be progressive you will have to stay awake and alert to the world.

I see beautiful women sporting Stone Island and I believe that probably the most lovely women are the ones wearing men’s products

Had been you referring to the Recon Jet sunglasses
Sure. Lovely design, superb advertising. So it’s any such factor. How can I work with these people and the sorts of applied sciences they’re using Can I take advantage of this kind of know-how in a garment I believe the thing with innovation is something you might want to work on so I always inform my team, “don’t look back, all the time look in entrance. As a result of the long run is sooner or later, not the previous.”

In a previous interview you talked about that a giant revolution for you guys occurred in 2003 whenever you found easy methods to dye polyester at 130 levels Celsius. Why was that such an important innovation

Because before we may only dye the pure fiber – there is a large quantity of fabric in fiber however when we also began to dye manmade fiber, we opened a completely new area of research – polyester, nylon, non-woven fabrics – so once more, we begin from zero, with the expertise of natural fiber and have a totally new discipline of expertise. I am additionally attracted by the very fact there are new fibers and the way they will react to the dying. Additionally the dying is changing because we’re working at a decrease temperature, new nano-supplies – each in fabrics and in dye.

What about these sort of hype applied sciences like 3D printing. Is that one thing that pursuits you
Sure, we now have started researching. It’s very good as a result of we reside in an fascinating technological space. We now have a few very small firms which are very versatile so we’re beginning to work with them to see how we are able to fit this system into the garment.

A colleague of mine wrote a piece on future trend applied sciences like self-healing fabric. Have you ever heard of this

Sure. I call these clever fibers or fabrics. They have a long historical past. I’ve by no means seen them applied however think they will be available soon. Anyway, we already talk about simple-care, anti-stain, that sort of thing. Can you imagine I noticed the primary anti-stain fabric in the early ’60s So it’s there but know-how is all the time evolving. We already have self-pressing garments and this wash-and-put on stuff. In the event you learn about these items you can art number checker stone island transfer with the improvements.

Are you still a Professor on the Polytechnic University
Sure, after all.

What do you educate there
I’m educating advertising – style advertising and marketing – and the course focuses on studying prototypes of garments. I exploit Stone Island as an example but strive not to affect the students so much. Since 80% or so are womenswear, we even have wedding ceremony products.

Is there a sure model you all the time discuss with regards to advertising
I’ve quite a lot of respect for Paul Smith. And then after all I completely respect Yohji Yamamoto and the Japanese as a result of they’ve a extremely improbable approach to their job – they actually do their art in a singular method. They don’t have to be business – they become business and could make their dream a actuality.

Have you discovered anything of explicit note via your students
Sure. I remember a few years in the past there was a pupil who was finding out a garment for a chef – the concept was do a jacket that doesn’t scent. She discovered a filter in Japan that keeps the scent. But then you take the jacket and shake it out and the scent goes away. However of course, it’s an enormous Japanese company they usually don’t care about a student from Polytechnic. So I mentioned that Stone Island might be interested and I used to be very involved. So as a sort of filter, I found a brand new materials, she makes a implausible garment and i get a brand new experience. You know, working with younger folks, even within the university – it retains you young.

What about the most recent Supreme collaboration How did that come about
They approached us. To start with I used to be not sure if we might work collectively but then I flew to New York and met the team. You realize, by no means put two guys with blue eyes in the identical room. (laughs) They will kill each other or they can work very nicely collectively. Thankfully, we have been the latter. James was completely happy, I used to be pleased. I realized so much. At first it was not simple to grasp one another but now we’re working very effectively and I am very satisfied with the result. I believe each entities were flexible to respect the DNA of every model and to make something that was very good.

What did you study from working with them
I learned to be very precise. I realized not to cease until you acquire the perfect end result. I learned the way to launch a product on the web and perceive the expectations of people working on paper, and perceive the best way we do the garment is not so exact, so we need to barely change how we do the garment so as to attain the perfection Supreme had been expecting.

I completely respect Yohji Yamamoto and the Japanese as a result of they’ve a really unbelievable method to their job – they really do their artwork in a singular manner.

Early you were speaking about approaching clothes design in an industrial way. Are there some other merchandise that you’d wish to discover

No, simply clothing. I believe you could do the job that you’ll be able to do.
There are a lot different technical manufacturers now who are doing this “direct to consumer” model. Do you regulate these kinds of manufacturers

I at all times look to all the brands which are around. I feel you’ll be able to at all times study from everyone – from energetic sport to skiing and surfing. I think it began a few years ago. I also look at the army. After i travel the world, I attempt to see all of the different types of jackets that exist. Now the costumer can choose what they want and use it across the board. So a technical jacket can go right into a theatre and a bike jacket can go on prime of a mountain. It’s about how the buyer desires to use it.

Do you think that is trend-based or does it reflect present lifestyles
I think it is more of a development. It’s one thing that people will continue to do, and in someway, we’re helping this trend because we’re doing garments that are performing extra and are more multipurpose.